STEVE HUSTON: ONE-MAN EXHIBITION
	FOREWORD What the two men in "Pull" are endeavoring to move remains a mystery, but this work like so many of Steve Huston's paintings, is all about the effort and not the goal. Heads bent with exertion, the massive arms and hands of the workers are engaged in a struggle for which their bodies have been tempered and their determination steeled. The straight diagonal line dissects the sweeping brushstrokes for which Huston has become so well known. The physical toil is not merely a device for showing the musculature of a body straining, but rather a statement on how crucial making that daunting effort is in a human life and the life of a society. In his new exhibition Steve Huston continues his quest to communicate, in the visual language of the masters, the work ethic upon which America was founded. He draws together bits of iconography as a map upon which to stage his heroically proportioned figures. Five men strain against the ropes in "The Project" to build or restore a structure carved out of our cultural roots. Their own geometry suggests pillars upon which great achievements have and will continue to be built. This painting speaks directly to the artist's approach to contemporary realism. Huston finds the continuing relevance of the genre in creating works that reflect the challenges, aspirations and strengths of the human spirit. Forceful opposition is not the only reoccurring theme in Huston's work; there are also more subtle contradictions to be found in his compositions. At times the reality of the environment seems incomplete or even out of place with the task undertaken. Huston deliberately mixes symbols and references to make us see each scene anew. This is certainly the case in the painting entitled "The Nude." The model, who is so vulnerable with her hand clasped behind her back, examines the boxer, his outstretched arm almost making "contact" with her inquiring face. These are two iconic figures never destined to meet except in the context of the artist's creativity. In this new exhibition, Steve Huston's works are so dynamic we feel as if we are literally being moved about. He brings us to new surroundings, in arenas both in and out of doors. Our senses are heightened with the sheer physicality of the world he creates and we are engaged in a shared knowledge of the human journey.
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